About a year ago, you would not have found me in a church.

My wife, Allison, started to go to church after befriending the vicar's wife, Diane, at Piccolos playgroup in Angola Road, Worthing.

Allison has never forced me to go to church but I decided to go. After a couple of weeks, Dave, the vicar, told us of the Alpha course, which teaches you more about Christianity.

We decided to go. During the course, something happened to me.

I have worked as a postman for 15 years. About ten years ago, I was attacked by two men while delivering to a block of flats in Thornton Heath.

One or them sprayed something into my face. As a result, I was hospitalised and lost two layers of skin and some of my sight.

Since then, I have been scared to go out on my own anywhere.

One night when I was on the Alpha course, I was in my workshop at the bottom of the garden.

As usual, I ran up the garden to go indoors where I would feel secure.

That night, I stopped and said to myself: "What am I running for? I have God on my side."

When I said that, all my fears were taken from my shoulders and have not returned.

During the course, we were asked if we had ever experienced God and I said, "Yes, last week".

I have since told other people of my experience - at the Christmas carol service at Broadwater parish and St Stephen's church at Angola Road.

I thought it important to let as many as people as possible know about it through the correspondence columns of The Argus.

-Paul Townsend, Chester Avenue, Worthing